


Bribery

by CALira



Series: Out There [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV), walking - Fandom
Genre: Cute, M/M, Mushy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 07:52:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4427369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CALira/pseuds/CALira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Intro of Aaron telling Eric about staying home.<br/>How in the hell did he get him to agree?<br/>Events follow "Rope Burns"</p>
<p>Series - Out There - Chapter 1</p>
<p>Subsequent chapters: "The Need to Talk" , "Opinion"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Eric stirred from a dreamless twenty hour stupor of pharmaceutical origin. Groggy, cotton mouthed and flat on his back he felt like something wasn't quite right. 

“Why am I wearing my work clothes in bed?,” he mumbled to himself. 

His fuzzy mind slowly registered the details of his surroundings. 

“The sun's up. There's a nice breeze.” Gathering information wasn't answering anything.

“So, why am I still in bed at all?” He rolled out from under the covers and onto his side with the earnest intention of getting out of bed to begin his day. His plans changed dramatically as he nearly soiled himself from the intensity of the pain shooting up his leg and into his spine.

He dropped heavily back into his original position on the mattress panting like a greyhound at the track. His pale cheeks flushed a shade of red only one gradation lighter than his shock of hair. After the shooting stars and singing birdies faded, he took a crackling breath, “Oh yeah...I broke my stupid-ass ankle.”

Trying a different tack, he planted his hands flat on the mattress and, anchoring the heel of his good foot on the bedding, slid himself up onto the headboard. The top of his head shook violently as he hissed through his teeth. Finally settled, he mouthed silently, "Ow." 

"Mornin', Sexy." A smooth voice called out suddenly from somewhere close.

"Ack!” Eric's eyes widened as a full-body twitch jerked him violently in surprise.

“sonofa...!” A rudely intrusive stab of pain lit his body on fire from ankle to nostrils. 

“Aaron?! Dammit!” he yelled in irritation. His strapping boyfriend sat casually in the cushy armchair by the open bedroom windows. The clean cut brunette was trying not to smile at the adorably annoyed display playing out on the bed in front of him.

Eric closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Exhaling steadily, he regained his composure. Eyes popping open, he managed to crack a sweaty, forehead crinkling smile. He asked with a strained chirpiness, “So. How long have you been sitting there?"

"Not long,” Aaron answered. 

His voice was warm, casual and steady. A voice born for seduction or politics. He rose effortlessly from the overstuffed reading chair and approached the bed in glorious silhouette against what turned out to be the setting sun. 

Eric smiled wickedly. In lewd appreciation, he watched his outdoorsy deity of a boyfriend cross the room toward him. Unfortunately, he was far too tired and in altogether too much pain to consider entertaining the sparkly impure thoughts bedazzling his mind. He lowered his eye lids against further masochism and folded his arms loosely across his waist. Leaning his head back against the headboard he sighed,

"Staring at me as I sleep again? All serial killer intense and dripping love?"

Standing by the bed, Aaron stared down at his rumpled boyfriend with a huge Cheshire Cat grin on his wholesome face. 

Eric rolled his head up toward his partner. Peering through a curtain of long copper eyelashes, he caught site of Aaron's expression, “Yeah, like that.”

Aaron chuffed happily and handed Eric a Universal Studios souvenir shot glass from the nightstand.

Eric righted himself and reached for the bit of drinking paraphernalia with one of his slender hands. He smiled fondly, "Ooo. Fun times.” 

Rattling the pill that was inside the tiny glass he smiled with delight, “Nice touch. You do know me so well."

"I aim to please.” Aaron gently chucked Eric's chin with a weather hardened knuckle.

Eric peered into the shot glass. Tilting his head quizzically he asked, "Half a pill?”

“Oh, yeah. Trust me." He had no intention of repeating last night's command performance as referee to Eric's stoned wrestling match with gravity.

Aaron reached for something on the nightstand as Eric lifted the glass toward his lips. “Hey, hey. Eat something with that,” he fussed.

“Here." Aaron held up a perfectly shaped, flawlessly surfaced piece of fruit glowing resplendent in the waning light.

Eric's eyes widened and his head twitched in surprise.

“An apple?” He looked back up at Aaron. “Where did that come from? I _know_ we don't keep any in the house.” 

“Didn't think you'd want anything heavy for breakfast. Besides, it's good for you. Vitamins. Minerals. Fiber.” 

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Look smarty, I know you like them so I went and got some. That's all.”

Eric furrowed his brow, “But you hate them.”

“Yeah, yeah, but I love you.” 

Aaron held the apple dramatically by its stem as if carrying a dead rat to the dumpster.

“Is it radioactive? Will I need some special shots?” Eric widened his already large brown eyes and snickered.

“Funny, smart ass of my dreams” Aaron smiled through a veil of mock exasperation.

Shaking his head, he chuckled quietly, “Just take the damn thing.” 

Eric was touched, and surprisingly speechless - if only momentarily.

“I don't know what to say.” He stared intently at the red fruit cradled in his cloud white hands.

“Oh, so it's a miracle apple.” Aaron sat down on the edge of the bed leaving one foot on the floor to counter balance his body weight. Having succeeded in not bouncing Eric around on the mattress, he mischievously pressed the lap of his bent leg firmly against the side of Eric's warm taut thigh. 

Eric didn't respond. It wasn't like the redhed to pass up a chance to flirt mercilessly. A troubled Aaron furrowed his brow.

He leaned further into his curiously silent boyfriend and gave his thigh a light squeeze. It tore at his heart when Eric acted like he'd never received a simple kindness in his life. 

Holding the apple in both hands like Snow White, Eric was mesmerized. He looked back at Aaron with shining eyes as he whispered in great reverence, “Thank you.” 

“Aw. You're welcome, China Doll.” Aaron anchored a work chaffed hand behind his boyfriend's ear. He gently stroked his thumb across the scratchy unshaven cheek. With his free hand, he finger-combed the severe case of copper colored bed head into a slightly less chaotic approximation of smoothness.

Eric lowered his face and spoke softly, “You shouldn't have gone to all that trouble just for me.” 

“I wanted to.” Aaron lifted Eric's face by the chin supporting it gently with his strong fingers,

“... and always for you.”

Eric was overcome with a rush of emotion and smiled at Aaron in adoration. Even now with his life happily, lovingly intertwined with Aaron, he still expected to be dismissively overlooked…or looked at too damn closely.

With brimming chocolate eyes, Eric lifted the apple to his sleeve for a little polish. He frowned at the state of that sleeve and thought better of it. At a loss for what to do, he tested the edge of a rumpled bed sheet between his fingers. With a grimace he closed his eyes and turned away as he lifted a corner of the sheet toward the apple. 

Aaron covered Eric's hands with his own, stopping the heresy against high thread-count linen that he was about to commit. Eric looked at him sincerely,

“But, it has to be the sheets. They're clean. My sleeves are disgusting.” 

Aaron grinned lovingly and handed Eric a pristine cloth napkin. With an inhuman broadening of his smile, Eric happily worked the cloth over his prized apple.

Aaron unsealed a bottle of water and reminded Eric about the shot glass in his lap. He watched Eric tip the pill fragment into his mouth and, in one quick motion, switched out the shot glass for the plastic bottle. He ardently watched his beloved better half drain the bottle in three large gulps, barely waiting for Eric to replace the cap before busing the empty bottle. 

“Want more?” Aaron doted.

“I'm good right now. Thank you” 

Eric lovingly scanned his boyfriend's storm blue eyes and earnest face in silent affection as his beau fluffed and reoriented the pillows to cushion his back.

“You are going to break my heart if you keep spoiling me like this,” he sighed as Aaron applied light pressure to his chest guiding him gently back against the pillows.

With a teasing grin, the affable redhead settled into the comforting support, 

“...but I guess I'll just have to force myself to suffer through it,” he bit into his apple with a playful wink.

Aaron chuckled in amusement under a broad grin. He never could resist Eric's sense of humor. The teasing and the jokes and the vague inappropriateness were responsible for much of the stability of their relationship.

Aaron was fervently aware that his guileless sweetheart had spent too much of his life protecting himself from random idiots that wanted to hurt him. He knew what that life was like and wanted better for Eric. So, Aaron was doing the protecting now.

Indeed, most of what Aaron thought, said and did in Eric's company was to protect him. Physically, emotionally and any other way he needed. 

His skin crawled with guilt and self loathing because, tonight, he was the one that was going to do the hurting.


	2. The Need to Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron telling Eric will stay at home and not go out there recruiting.

The Need to Talk 

Eric lay convalescing in bed propped up against the headboard trying to finish an apple. It was a surprise breakfast treat from his dear selfless boyfriend, Aaron, who viscerally hated the things. 

Every time Eric lifted the apple to his mouth his eyes fell on his partner's curiously intent choir boy face with its ethereal steel blue eyes and just couldn't take the next bite.

“I can't eat this with you looking at me.”

Aaron sat half on the bed facing the injured Eric. He grinned and absently stroked Eric's thin but sinewy thigh. His hand slid over the worn surface of the rumpled work pants that Eric passed out in after his broken ankle was set at the town infirmary.

“Seriously. Cut it out.” Eric laughed. 

Aaron only continued to stare into his patient's warm coffee brown eyes in both adoration and wariness. He closely monitored Eric's pupils for signs of looping out on the latest dose of painkiller. The slender red head's body was a lot denser than it looked and he was a handful to wrestle off a pharmaceutical ledge even for the muscular brunette.

“OK, have it your way,” Eric placed one of his long hands over his eyes and finally took another bite out of the shiny red fruit. He chewed leisurely in the guilt free darkness behind his hand. 

Aaron chuckled and pried his tanned and roughened fingertips under the pale hand, uncovering Eric's eyes. He gave the hand a quick peck before lowering their collection of digits onto the gapless join between Eric's thigh and his own lap. 

He nodded reassuringly, “It's OK. Eat.” 

“You're sure?” 

“Yeah.” 

Eric looked at him sideways through slitted eyes. He made an extravagantly dramatic performance out of averting his gaze toward the windows and took another bite of the fruit.

Aaron smiled broadly in sparkling amusement. He savored the living tableau of domestic bliss as long as his conscience would let him.

Straightening his back, Aaron took a deep bolstering breath, "We need to talk."

"Oh, I see. You feed me, dope me up, charm the living daylights out of me and _nooow_ it's time for a little chat?" Eric flashed a sweetly teasing smile that made his pale face glow. 

"So, what's up?" he chirped with a mostly concealed hint of sadness and disappointment. He already knew.

The amiable redhead took a shallow breath as his lips involuntarily pulled flat, blocked from sight by the remains of the shark-weeked apple. Instinct and experience steeled the muscles of his body in anticipation of the impending blow.

Aaron lowered his face and, staring at their clasped hands, stroked his thumb across Eric's prominent knuckles. Visibly reluctant, the determined brunette set his jaw and exhaled forcibly,

"I don't think you should go out there recruiting with me anymore." His face was locked into a carefully crafted non-threatening expression: Aaron in full emissary mode. 

Eric's hand contracted in Aaron's loose grip. Although he had seen it coming, the vote of no confidence still stung. He slipped his hand out of Aaron's grasp and silently wrapped the apple carcass in a rumpled cloth napkin. 

His eyes riveted to Eric's face, Aaron reached slowly for the package of refuse and carefully placed it on the small tray sitting on the nightstand. He stared at his boyfriend in concern. Eric didn't get fire and brimstone angry, he got hurt instead. The resultant look of betrayal and sadness always devastated Aaron. 

He wasn't proud of it, but this time he had prepared himself to push past that look and willingly absorb the inevitable guilt of hurting his beau with this decision. But he had no idea what to do with whatever this was in front of him. 

Aaron stared into the wide pair of smoking brown eyes set like slow burning charcoal in Eric's unnaturally neutral face. He sat in stillness, unsure of how to continue conversing with this silently fuming version of his boyfriend.

Without a word, Eric reached for a bottle of water on the nightstand. Aaron got to it first and unsealed the cap. Never once breaking eye contact, he gently placed the plastic bottle directly in Eric's hand.

Eric silently tracked Aaron visually through all the activity of performing that small kindness. His eyes, like military grade surveillance tech, stayed locked onto his partner's attentive face. He took a big hit off the water bottle, draining it in one go like a frat boy with a beer bong. He licked the lingering droplets from his lips.

“While I'm on medical leave,” he calmly extended Aaron's statement into something tolerable. Leaving the unspoken challenge hanging over them, he allowed Aaron to carefully retrieve the empty water bottle from his rigid hands.

Aaron couldn't handle seeing him with such hostile pain and hid his eyes behind the act of stowing away the bottle. His strained voice was gentle but firm, “No. Not anymore.”

Eric blinked rhythmically at Aaron in silence. Nodding absently he breathed a neutral, "Oh.” 

His speech played out in carefully spaced and deliberately pronounced words,

“So what you mean is that you don't _want_ me to be out there with you anymore." It wasn't a question. 

With no change is his expression or demeanor, Eric tightly clenched his hands together in his lap, protruding knuckles a whiter shade of pale through the shining strained skin. It was a small physical discomfort designed to focus his mind and distract himself from the shock. He had expected the “no go” but the “forever” was a punch to the kidneys.

Aaron knew him well enough to recognize that reaction. He wrapped his fingers around the tight ball of straining tendons and pressurized capillaries of Eric's hands, 

“You know that I've never trusted anyone else enough to let them back me up in the field. Only you. But it's getting to be too dangerous out there.”

Eric's slightly relaxed his sore hands. His lips flattened as something occurred to him that immediately bottomed out his blood temperature.

“Dangerous, huh?” He nodded thoughtfully and looked down at their almost entwined hands. 

“Will _you_ still be going out?," Eric queried in a disturbingly calm tone.

“Well...uhm...yeah, I was thinki...

"No." 

“What was that?” Aaron's head ticked to the side as he aligned his ear with the flow of their conversation.

“Not going to happen.” Eric said with an unnerving stillness born of percolating anger turned statement of fact. He continued,

“I'll chain you to the radiator before I let you go out there alone” 

"We have a fireplace,” Aaron corrected playfully.

Eric's nostrils flared like an albino bull rushing an overstock sale on red capes. "Hand me one of my crutches will you? I need to smack you with it." 

“Ok. Ok. Couldn't help myself.” Aaron grinned broadly at Eric who for the first time in years was not smiling back. 

Aaron’s smile faded as a chill crept along his lower back. His hands still draped over Eric's unwelcoming interlaced fingers, he thought to himself, 

_'Sooo...humor was completely the wrong choice.'_

In Aaron's defense, Eric was usually distracted easily by humor and sarcasm. His sweet gentle suitor was committed to living a life of smiles, laughs and double entrendes. Aaron relied on those traits as the base of his “go to” tactic to calm a marauding Eric the Pale. He didn't expect his lightly teasing attempt to diffuse the situation to fail so miserably.

Aaron swallowed nervously and coughed, “I think there's a mutually acceptable middle ground.” 

Lengthening his neck he swallowed again. “Something occurred to me while I watched you breathe in your sleep. Do you remember who Daryl is from the new group?” 

“Hmm. Scruffy, Sweaty, Muscley. Ice blue eyes. Carries a cross bow?”

“Oh, so you _did_ notice him.”

“Never claimed to be blind, Sweets.” 

A small thrill of hope sparked in Aaron’s chest and he ventured a cautious smile. Not only had Eric moderately tolerated his pretense of jealousy, he played back ... kind of. At the very least, one of the milder forms of his partner's joking sarcasm made a brief appearance and that was a good enough start.

"You remember how good he was with his people? How well he worked the world in general? I think that he'd make a good recruiter.”

“I remember. Yes, we saw as much” The light in Eric's eyes grew vague as he recalled all that they had witnessed about this group out in the wild.

“He'll keep you safe. Do a better job than I ever could anyway.” He lowered his face in disappointment.

Nodding, he shrugged a shoulder. “I suppose, if you _have_ to replace me while I heal...”

“Eric, my sweet shiny penny, I'm not attracted to Daryl. You don't have to worry about that. I mean look at you. He's _clearly_ not my type.” His lovely blue-gray eyes shone brightly in oblivious blockheadedness.

Eric's head lifted and his face went slack. His eyes blinked rapidly turning his view of Aaron into an old Charlie Chaplain flick complete with bittersweet pathos.

“Let's just assume that there was something vaguely resembling an intentional compliment in there somewhere.” He shook his head in amazed incredulity. 

Eric knew he had the right to be livid at the clumsy left-handed insult of a compliment imbedded in that hurtful remark, but he was too taken with Aaron's loss of control over his steady embassy manners to act on that right. In fact, the sight of Aaron actively chewing his foot was starting to amuse him. There was something endearing about a flummoxed Aaron. 

Aaron bit his congenitally pouty lower lip. Completely rattled by an unpredictably mercurial Eric he gasped, “Oh. Crap. I may have put that the wrong way.” 

Eric sighed and managed a gently amused smile. He cradled Aaron's dry roughened hands in his own.

“Aaron, Babe. Honey. Sweetheart. I love you with all that I am and all that I could ever even hope to be.” 

He kissed each of the strong hands in turn. Peering deeply into mist blue eyes, he continued,

“...but you seriously need to get over yourself, Doll Face.”

Aaron’s features elongated as his forehead tried to reach up over his fleecy brown hair for the nape of his neck.

“Not everything with a dick wants to wander around inside your pants,” Eric commented professorially.

“Just me. And there's not enough room in there for anybody else, Big Fella.” He indulged in a happy and slutty little eyebrow dance capped off with a wink.

That made Aaron smile which in turn made Eric insanely happy. But, as they seemed to be ruining good moods tonight, he added,

“Besides, if I were ever to catch even a hint of something inappropriate going on...

He gently pulsed Aaron’s fingers. 

“...I'll go after your boys with one of the kitchen knives while you sleep.”

Aaron arched an eyebrow, uncertain how much of that was a joke.

Eric lightly kissed Aaron’s very confused lips. He gave his curly headed love a reprieve.

“I trust you. OK?” 

Still embarrassed and queasy from the taste of his own damn foot, Aaron responded, 

“OK. So you aren't jealous.” 

Eric shook his head in amusement as Aaron looked at him quizzically. 

“Then what's wrong with having Daryl out there with me?”

“Nothing. I'm glad you considered him. Like I said, I know you'll be safer out there for partnering with him.”

“Eric, Baby. I know you. There's something else.”

“Despite your delusional fantasy, it's certainly not that I'm jealous of him sexually or romantically.” 

“Ah. But, you are jealous in some way?”

 _'Damn! Thought I got that one past him,'_ Eric mentally admonished himself. He frowned and looked away.

“It's childish and embarrassing and not fair to you.”

“You may as well say it now or I’ll just hover over you without pity until you crack and tell me anyway.”

Eric let out a determined huff of air, 

“I'm...upset...that you and Daryl will be bonding together in a “manly men of the woods” way that I can't even begin to hope to achieve.” 

“And. Well... I want to be the only one bonded with you!” he pouted unreasonably, too hurt, sad and worried to even try to take the high road.

“Cinnamon, Baby. I couldn't be more firmly bonded with you if we used super glue.”

Eric didn't laugh at hearing their in-joke stripper name. He didn't start a fresh round of sarcasm-badminton either. He didn't even seem angry. To the contrary, Eric seemed inconsolable. 

Aaron was in a panic. He could talk guerrillas, tyrants and despots into letting him help the people they terrorized, but he couldn't accomplish the fundamental task of speaking with his beloved boyfriend without upsetting him.

Eric mumbled, “Said it was stupid.” Mortified, his lips decayed into a devastated frown.

Aaron gently lifted Eric's face by the chin. With gentle compassion, he said softly, “No, Baby. It's not stupid. It's how you feel and that's just biology.” 

Aaron’s shoulders slumped as he laid his hand on Eric's chest. 

“At most, Daryl could become like a brother. We do have a lot in common. But he could never be as important to me as you are.”

“I _know_. Logically, I get it,” Eric responded wearily. Stroking the strong hand on his chest with one of his own deeply sinewed ones he continued,

“But jeez, Babe, give me a minute. You kind of sprung the extent of this on me.” 

He wrapped his fingers around Aaron’s hand and lightly tapped it against his chest. “I _will_ get used to the idea of sharing you. I'm just working through a little insecurity right now.”

He shook his head and lowered his face in regret, “I shouldn't have mentioned it.”

“You know you can tell me anything.” Aaron ducked his head and looked up into his boyfriend's drawn face.

“I know, Sweets.” Eric smiled listlessly through wispy traces of lingering sadness. 

“What I don't know is how many ways I need to say it to you, Babe; I'm good with you and Daryl. Really. I'm even okay with the idea of being replaced...until I heal.”

“Then why do you still look so hurt?”

Eric sat unnaturally still and stared at the outdoorsman silently for a few too many heartbeats beyond comfortable. He pursed his lips and asked quietly,

“What do you think of me that makes you so eager to replace me with a stranger?”

Aaron groaned painfully, “Eric, Baby, I've put you through a lot tonight already. Do you really want us to open up another artery?”

“No... but we are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation on a theme.
> 
> Cute and fun couple should argue in a cute and fun way.
> 
> Hope that's what this does.


	3. Opinion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It gets personal.
> 
> Series follows "Rope burns"
> 
> Previous chapters: "Bribery", "The Need to Talk"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you stage an argument when neither party wants to hurt the other?
> 
> I like to imagine a lot of hesitance, loss of focus and active distraction.

Eric stared deeply into the eyes of his beloved boyfriend Aaron as they huddled together on the edge of their shared bed. He lovingly held hands with the one person that meant everything to him,

“You colossal jerk.” 

Eric's broken ankle was on its third day of mending and an extremely concerned Aaron was doing his damnest to mother him to death. They were currently having a heart-to-heart chat. A tetchy heart-to-heart chat.

“I can't believe that you think so little of me.” Eric's expression was crestfallen. 

It was a testimony to the closeness and comfort the couple shared that Eric felt safe enough to let a clouded streak of hurt obscure his normally warm and friendly brown eyes. The sight, however, sliced deeply into Aaron’s heart.

“I think the world of you.” He gently ran his thumb along the breadth of Eric's prominent knuckles. 

“Really?” Eric snarked with bittersweet abandon,

“Because kicking me off the recruiting team and replacing me with a complete stranger doesn't exactly proclaim 'confidence in the lanky redhead'.”

He quietly removed his hand from Aaron’s grasp and cradled the curly topped brunette's Classical Age jawline. 

Aaron gently covered Eric's graceful hand with his forest chaffed one. He quietly studied his boyfriend's handsome features.

Eric frowned slightly as he slipped his hand out from under Aaron's. He tucked the suddenly chill and lonely hand under its partner on his lap. In an unhappy and frustrated voice he continued, 

“It's like you don't think I'm an adult.” 

“What? I don't... I... I know you're an adult!” Eric was the only person Aaron had ever met that could derail his composure so completely.

He sat facing Eric, the lap of his folded leg pressed tightly against his boyfriend's accommodating thigh. The familiarity and warmth of the connection reminded him how much he loved this kind and playful man and how he hated knowing he was hurting. 

His natural instinct was to distract Eric from anything painful with flippant humor and smutty innuendo. His mind desperately scrambled for ideas and landed his thoughts in a mischievous and somewhat slatternly neighborhood.

Aaron assumed an air of indignance. Not even attempting to mask the impish glint of light that sparked behind his striking grey-blue eyes, he announced grandly,

”I do not fornicate with minors.”

Eric's lips curled into a wicked grin. It just wasn't in him to ignore an opportunity to tease the hell out of Aaron. 

“Oh, how quickly you forget your freshman year at college. Poor lad, not even eighteen.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth and gave Aaron a sound 'tsking'.

“You were eighteen three hours later!” Aaron flared out his hands in amused exasperation.

“... _and_ I was eighteen only two weeks before that.”

“Still, you should have been ashamed of yourself,” Eric scolded gleefully.

With haughty smugness Aaron reminded him, “I didn't hear you complain.” 

“Not so easy to complain when your mouth is full.” The corners of Eric's grin tried their best to meet each other behind his shining copper colored head.

Aaron touched a deeply textured hand to Eric's deceptively narrow chest with its tightly banded muscles and took a dramatic breath. Sparkling romantically at him, he gushed, “Poetry? And so early in the evening?”

Eric chuckled. He fondled Aaron’s hand and pushed it more firmly against the flesh over his heart. He cocked an eyebrow lewdly, “Besides, there is absolutely nothing to complain about when you lose track of your clothes.”

It was a positive sign that Eric was in the mood to play. Aaron hoped it meant that his naughty-memory tactic had successfully distracted his cinnamon latte of a boyfriend enough to just drop the topic. Eric had already tenuously agreed to being replaced on their two man recruiting team and that was all Aaron wanted to accomplish tonight.

He smiled cautiously, loitering in the back alley of hopeful relief. He collected Eric's hands and gently worked them with his fingers.

Eric sighed happily. He loved Aaron's smile and was ridiculously giddy that he was the reason for its appearance. However, he knew his man extremely well. 

He leaned forward and kissed Aaron's temple. Nuzzling his unshaven red-gold flocked jaw against Aaron’s fresh scrubbed cheek, he whispered, “Nice try. But you aren't off the hook.” 

Even after all these years, it still surprised Aaron how easily Eric could see right through his spinmeister's bag of tricks and clearly see the reality behind the illusion.

Aaron shrugged with a sigh, “It's your own fault. My mind gets all dirty when you're this close to me.” He bared his gleaming white teeth in a shamelessly feral smile. 

Eric rolled his eyes and chuckled. Reaching for an errant curl along Aaron’s forehead, he tucked it lovingly back into the field of puppy brown lambswool hair atop his boyfriend's clean cut face. Balancing Aaron’s chin on pale fingers, he looked purposefully into the man's mist blue eyes, “Listen to me, my adorable forest creature, we are going to discuss this.” 

Aaron nodded silently and steeled himself for the inevitable. 

Eric hesitated. It was hard for him to broach the subject. He hated the idea of hurting Aaron’s feelings, but he couldn't live with thinking that the man didn't believe in him. 

He sheepishly opted to buy himself a few more minutes by indulging himself just once more in his favorite pass time. Ignoring what he had just told Aaron, Eric launched a singular teasing poke at his solid, kindhearted boyfriend.

“OK, so you _definitely_ see an adult, you lewd and filthy thing.” He scanned him indecently.

Aaron gestured a hand at himself and laughed, “Wait. _I'm_ the dirty minded one?”

Eric tilted his head and in mock confusion he lilted, “So, you're bragging now?” 

Wrapping a lean hand gently around the back of Aaron's hardy neck, Eric pulled their foreheads together. A few heartbeats later he broke contact and kissed the boyfriend-next-door face lightly on the forehead. Continuing with a sigh, “OK. For real this time. That's enough of that.” 

Settling back against the headboard, Eric furrowed his brow and flattened his lips into a thin line. He proceeded with determination, “The more accurate description of the problem is that you are making me feel like a pet.”

“What?” Aaron was floored and his brain decided to sever all ties with him.

Eric raised an eyebrow, “You know. Like an adorable ginger puppy that you have to fence up in the backyard to keep out of traffic?” 

“What?!” Aaron stumbled over his tongue trying to absorb the Eric-flavored shock.

“You know you said that already, right?”

“Huh?” He really was a well spoken man even if he just couldn't seem to prove it at the moment.

“That's better, I guess.” Eric smirked gently and readjusted his body to relieve the numbness in his _extreme_ lower back. Oddly satisfied to feel the stinging needles of decompressed neurons, he continued,

“Aaron, Babe, I don't just mindlessly follow your commands. It may not seem like it, but every time I “do as you say” it's a conscious choice. One based on available information and careful thought.”

“I had hoped it was because you love me,” Aaron dejectedly lowered his gaze.

Eric's head bobbled. In a distant voice too otherworldly to convey anger, “Like I earn a doggie treat of your love for being obedient?”

“What!? No. No!” Aaron usually didn't short circuit like this before his negotiator's conditioning kicked in to save a conversation. But this was Eric and the man was imbued with some arcane form of supernatural thought jamming radiance that threw Aaron off his game every time they argued.

Thoroughly flustered, he asked, “Do you really think that I discount you like that?” 

Eric nodded minutely in barely perceptible response. His lifeless mouth and sad eyes personified his disillusionment, “I thought I had proven myself to you by now.” 

Self-esteem bruised but intact, he gathered Aaron’s hands and looked deeply into the fog blue eyes. Rocking the hands gently he continued,

“The ankle was an accident. It wouldn't have happened if Caveman Rick's Travel Agency of the Damned hadn't commandeered booking the tour.”

Eric let Aaron’s hands drop and leaned backward. Crossing his arms over his heart, he shrugged his shoulders and continued, “And, yes, I handled it badly and got myself knocked flat by the curve ball.”

Aaron shrugged and nodded silently in response as he smoothed a hand along the worn surface of the sturdy brown pants covering Eric's lap.

Eric averted his foal like eyes from the look of worry on his beau's face. “I know that I let you down. Believe me, I'm disappointed in myself too.”

“No! Never disappointed.” Aaron’s body seized involuntarily. 

Eric threw his hands in the air, “Then what is this? Why have I been fired?”

"You scared the hell out of me.” Aaron reached for Eric's hands without response. He draped his fingers over them anyway.

“I nearly had a coronary when I saw that damn emergency flare.” There was an aching sadness in his voice.

“I stopped thinking about anything but getting to you. Screw the mission. Leave the recruits to become roamer chow.” 

Eric's neck tensed. “Yes. I heard about your little trip into the woods on my behalf. Unarmed. Hands bound behind you. Are you sure you're not the one that needs to stay home?” 

Pushing past the sudden sting of derision, Aaron pleaded, “Please cut me some slack on this. I need you to stay home where I can _know_ that you're safe.” 

“Safe?” Eric cracked the air with a horrible thunder clap of laughter. 

“What, here? In Homophobotopia? “ He gestured widely, indicating the immediate world around them,

“Are you sure you want to risk it? The helpless hobbling homo without his handler?” 

Aaron growled protectively, “Don't _ever_ say that about yourself.” 

The anger in Aaron's voice snapped Eric out of his sudden fit of hostile self-pity. Disgust and shame tore at him and demanded that he make amends. 

Speaking into his chest he said, “I apologize. I was being a brat.”

“It's OK.” Aaron gave him a tender forgiving smile. His torso twisted in discomfort from a sudden stab of guilt. He didn't want Eric to feel that he ever had to apologize to him for anything. 

Eric looked back up at his partner with a thin plastic smile stapled to his face. The contrived sentiment, however, didn't quite make it to his eyes. 

“I am that grown ass man we were talking about, after all. Of course I can handle myself in make believe suburbia.”

Aaron brightened. Straightening his leg, he planted his sand colored sock against the headboard next to Eric's hindquarters. Rubbing his sleeping knee, he grinned, “I know. I've seen you do that.”

He leaned back on a load bearing arm anchored just beyond Eric's warm and friendly thighs. “Remember?”

Eric's genuine smile appeared and lit his eyes from within. His face relaxed as he spoke, “When we first met.”

“Yeah. That Career Day field trip Sophomore year,”Aaron prompted.

“The holding cell in D.C.” 

“You got jumped by those two wannabe bashers.” 

“Hmph, yeah. They thought that they had found easy prey.” Eric smirked maniacally. 

Aaron beamed with pride, “By the time I got there you had broken that one guy's nose.”

“...and you broke the other creep's arm when he slipped the neck lock,” Eric chuckled lightly.

“Aaah”, they sighed in unison; warmly in love for the ages. Bonding over the shared nostalgia of assault charges.

“Hey, wait. I'm mad at you for wanting to leave me behind,” Eric said seriously.

Aaron righted himself and refolded his leg, once again abutting his lap along Eric's thigh, “I would never _choose_ to leave you behind anywhere. I always want you by my side.”

With a shuddering breath he concluded, “But after this last evil clown riot of a run, I realize that I haven't ever really kept you safe out there.”

Eric over-emphasized his words, “That's the point.” He sighed deeply,

“You don't _need_ to worry about me. The ankle insanity not withstanding, I can take care of myself. I thought we just established that.”

Aaron looked at him with sadness. “I don't want you to _have_ to take care of yourself. And I don't want your life at risk, period.” He shook his head in remorse.

“Alexandria is cold and unwelcoming and I hate leaving you to face it alone.” 

He swallowed hard. “...but it isn't lethal.” 

Eric countered, “Is it supposed to be okay with me that you risk your life by being out there alone?”

“I won't be alone. I already found a great replacement.” Blood drained cold from behind Aaron's ears with such an intensity that he thought it had to be a stroke.

“So you've _told_ me... and were much nicer about it.” Eric tried to be angry but he found himself quite enchanted by the sight of Aaron the Unflappable floundering around his embassy manners.

“I'm sorry. I can't seem to keep my boot out of my mouth today.” Aaron would have laughed if he didn't feel like such a moron.

Longing to see his boyfriend smile again, Eric teased, “Does it taste as funky as it smells?”

“Worse,” Aaron grinned in relief.

Eric sat quietly a moment tracing a finger along the inseam stitching of the khakis covering Aaron's comfortable thigh. He looked into Aaron's face, silently enjoying their closeness.

“It'll all be okay if you just stay in the house. Just stay home...in the house.” Neither of them were exactly sure who Aaron was trying to convince with that fractured mantra.

Eric felt playful in a passive-aggressive way. “Will I need to be fitted with an ankle monitor? There's plenty of room left on the good one.” 

He twirled his undamaged foot around in proof. “See?”

Although Aaron appreciated the lack of venom in Eric's sarcasm, he was desperate to get the man to understand what he was trying to say.

“The sight of you on that cold cement floor - broken, in pain, surrounded by weapons and strangers...” His voice creaked. 

“It's all that I see when I close my eyes. There's no way I'll be able to keep either of us safe if you are out there with me.” 

Eric lifted the knee of his undamaged leg and planted the sole of his foot on the bed. Tucking his bare toes under Aaron’s thigh he asked, “So why go out there at all?”

Aaron answered in surprise, “There are good people out there that need help.”

“Very altruistic, Hon. But I know there's more to it.” Wrapping his arms around his shin, Eric rested a cheek on the elevated knee.

“Tell me, St. Aaron. Why do _you_ need to go out there where it is lethal?”

Aaron was embarrassed at being caught in his double standard. He narrowed his eyes and said quietly, “You know why.”

“I need to hear you say it,” Eric said sadly. “Why is it more important to risk your life out there than it is to stay here where at least _you're_ safe?”

Aaron went Vesuvius and uncharacteristically let his words spew like freshly erupted lava, “I can't breathe in here, OK! All the fake civility - I can't take it. It's like the way it was growing up. Too many people wanting me to be someone that I wasn't. Doling out ridiculous punishments if I wouldn't conform. I sometimes just need to get the hell out of this bell jar and breathe some damned freedom. Happy?!” 

“No!” Eric sat up and unfolded himself. Dropping his leg back onto the mattress, he continued, “I don't like hurting you.” 

He took Aaron’s hand, “I love that you get the chance to temporarily escape this place and your past. Breathe your free air and be that noble heroic Aaron I am so in love with.”

He sighed, “... but I need you to understand that as much as you need me safe, I need you safe. There's no way I can _know_ from here if you're okay out there.”

Aaron tapped the side of a loose fist lightly on Eric's lap, “You'd still be alive.” 

“Without you? That's no life.”

“So, what then? You want to die pointlessly, hand in hand like...like... ” Aaron trawled his memory and, much to his embarrassment, cited the only example that came to mind, “... Thelma and Louise?

Eric was feeling surreally philosophic, “Great art reflects real life.” 

“Great?”

“Yeah-ok-whatever,” Eric ran his words together in irritated frustration. Relaxing his shoulders, he breathed calmly,

“Yes, I would rather die with you than live without you.”

Aaron asked tersely, “Why are you so fixated on my death?”

“Because I love you, stupid!” 

“Well, I love you too you migraine with feet!” 

They were both winded and temporarily disoriented by the odd shift of mood in their conversation. After Aaron's mind stopped spinning, he softly palmed Eric's cheek, “I've always believed in you and that won't ever change.” 

His eyes hardened, “But It's ugly and nasty and evil out there! You _know_ that! I love you and I am not going to let that shit out there anywhere near you ever again!”

Aaron breathed hard. Needing to take a moment to calm himself, he studied Eric's body language for signs that he was actually making headway in convincing the man how highly he valued him. Aaron realized his mistake when his mind wandered and noticed much more than he planned about his boyfriend's body.

Eric sat leaning back against the headboard in a James Dean slouch. The thoughtful expression on his thin face pushed his wide lips out in moist and shameless invitation. His shiny fox-red hair still whorled in defeated chaos from the ravages of his pillow.

Aaron was panting from more than just frustration.

“Just how the hell can you be so damned hot while I'm yelling at you?”

Eric admonished Aaron with a scolding fingertip gently poking his plaid covered pec, 

“First of all, pal, nobody's yelling. We are discussing loudly for the benefit of the NEIGHBORS CHEAP THRILLS.” Throwing himself hard into raising his voice at the end of his statement, he leaned too far toward the open windows. Aaron grabbed him by the waist hoping to keep Eric's melodramatic display from smacking him against the nightstand and cracking his skull open.

Eric turned his attention back to the worried Aaron. Melodramatically annoyed, he swatted the steadying hands away from his waist. Leaning forward he added crossly,

“Second of all, Ah-rOn, have you ever considered that I just might not be able to control being sexy!?” he smirked naughtily.

Aaron snapped his gaping mouth shut with an audible “ha'up”. The explosive laugh that followed relaxed his body and left him smiling broadly.

Eric's twisted grin and teasing eyes were back. Aaron was elated to see them again. It was too bad he had to ruin the reunion. He wasn't about to give up trying to convince Eric that wanting him to stay home had nothing to do with the slim redhead's effectiveness in the field.

“There's more at risk here than just your life.”

He swallowed and continued gently, “You remember last summer, those 3 people?” 

Eric stiffened and his throat went dry. “What about them?” he asked in a flat rasp.

“When things went bad and I was about to be target practice? You came up out of nowhere and killed them all.”

“Yeah. What?” Eric shrugged ambivalently. “I've had to resort to that before. I'd do it again. It's an acceptable exchange for your life.”

“It was disturbing how very good you were at it. Calm, cold, efficient. Three shots, three kills and they barely had time to draw on you.”

“C'mon, Babe. You can't just shoot people in the back no matter what kind of evil shit they are.”

Aaron gestured at Eric, “There. That 'ends justifies means' disregard for life. That's something I never expected to see from you. It came on so fast that day that I wasn't even sure it _was_ you at first.” 

Aaron’s features tensed from worry and sadness. This was a sore and terrifying subject for him.

“I didn't say anything then because I was so grateful for the rescue – still am by the way. Always will be.” 

Aaron stroked a rough hand along Eric's bare forearm from the carefully folded cuff of his shirt down to his pale wrist. He gently traced small circles on the back of Eric's hand.

“I was relieved when you turned back into you just as quickly. But, it haunts me that I'm the reason you learned how to become that guy.”

Eric fondled Aaron’s knee. “It's only for the sake of your immediate survival that I would ever even begin to consider justifying taking a life.”

His face lightened and he smiled at Aaron sweetly, “I mean it's not like I go on midnight rampages. We have about eight neighbors that are still alive and that's not just because we aren't allowed guns inside the compound.” 

Aaron shook his head and chuckled quietly. “No. Thankfully, you haven't gone all 'public enemy' on me.” He collected both of Eric's hands again and held them firmly.

“None of this is about what I think of you. Everything I've said and done here today is driven by my need to keep this version of you safe.” 

He pursed his lips, “...and on an even more selfish note, I'll be safer out there by knowing that you are safe in here even if it only means that you are still alive.”

Eric rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. Laying his head against the top edge of the headboard, he looked up at the ceiling. After a moment, he heavily exhaled one word, 

“OK.” 

“How's that?,” Aaron blinked in shock.

Eric rolled his head toward him. “I don't know that I'm completely convinced that you believe in me.” Eyes tired and dim, he smiled weakly. 

“But I don't want to argue about it anymore tonight. Trying to out manipulate each other isn't getting us anywhere and it's tiring.”

“You're giving up?!,” Aaron accused in disbelief. 

“Oh My God!” Eric bolted upright laughing loudly.

He wore one of his patented smirky smiles as he landed a hand on Aaron’s deep chest and groped a firm plaid pec. “Put it like that again and we can start this fight all over if you like.”

“Uh, no. I'm good.”

“Yes, you are, my brawny little lamb.” Eric smiled and raised his pale hand to the thick mass of springy shorn curls above Aaron's ear and scrunched it playfully with his fingertips. Aaron smiled and pretended to be upset by pulling his head away the tiniest fraction of an inch. Moving his hand to gently hold Aaron's cheek, Eric beamed at him and let his hand linger.

“I love you”

With a weathered hand, Aaron cradled Eric's jaw. 

“I love you, too.” He planted a relieved kiss gently on Eric's soft lips. 

“Thank you for working on this with me.” Aaron slowly slid his hand down his partner's long neck and out along the wrinkled material covering the pronounced clavicle spanning his chest. He wrapped his hand fondly over the tight knobby shoulder.

Eric nodded with a quiet smile, lovingly smoothing the tan plaid of Aaron's shirt with his relocated hand. He was serenely content to enjoy the warmth of Aaron's deep flannel chest in the ancient light of the full moon.

Aaron, however, was never so easily at peace. It wasn't in his nature to leave things well enough alone, especially when it came to Eric. Lips rolled inward, his eyes darted around in aimless agitation.

“Just say it before you rupture something.” Eric smirked in benevolent amusement.

Aaron reflexively held Eric's hands tightly by the wrists and blurted out in one breath, “Why-are-you-suddenly-taking-this-so-well?”

He scrunched his eyes shut and tensed his shoulders, bracing himself. 

Eric didn't yell. He didn't even answer. Aaron tentatively opened one eye and caught sight of his smiling, sweet, kind and loving Eric.

“I want you to be safe or just alive, too.” Eric tilted his head and favored Aaron with a schmaltzy smile that shamed the moonlight with its shine.

“So unclench.”

Aaron chuckled happily in relief.

Stretching his arms grandly, Eric twisted the kinks out of his back muscles. “Now, I feel like a landfill and smell like a locker room. You think you can help me out of these clothes that I've been wearing for three days?”

Aaron sprung to his feet with a mischievous smile. “Shall we start with your pants?”

“ooo. Yes, please.”

Aaron helped rotate Eric's legs over the edge of the matress taking special care not to disturb the bulky ankle cast. He slipped one of Eric's trim but densely muscled arms around his own solid shoulders steadying him as they scooted his butt forward to the edge of the bed where his feet could find solid purchase on the floor.

“By the way, we will be arguing about this again.” Eric sucked a breath through his teeth.

“Of course.” Aaron agreed. But that could wait. There were more important things pending tonight.

He flashed Eric a huge, relieved and wanton smile. 

“OK now. Let's get you naked.”

**Author's Note:**

> Indulging in playing with my Aaron/Eric toy. 
> 
> The couple is adorable and fun. Perfect as is.
> 
> But, I had some questions about them on the TV show: 
> 
> They are an intensely devoted couple. So how the hell does Aaron convince Eric to stay home without him from now on?
> 
> Why did Eric seem so okay with the idea at Spaghetti Fest with Aaron and Daryl? 
> 
> Does his cheerful acquiesce smack of subservience? (An idea I can't stand but that my evil paranoid mind came up with.)
> 
> Sooo, playtime and pondering - here's hoping it's at least somewhat enjoyable to read.


End file.
